Alternatives
by Maeggy
Summary: Maria embarks on a whirlwind romance, the likes of which she never thought she'd be in. Watch it unfold with an unlikely partner. Sit back and enjoy the journey.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except the idea.**

**This story will be very different from anything else that I have written, and will have a slightly special place in my heart. I have been working on this chapter for the past few days to get it just right. To set the tone and pace of the story, and to drop hints for things to come. Please let me know what you think.**

* * *

She loved her job, she really did. But, sometimes, her character managed to get into some rather…sticky situations. 

Like being covered in quickly drying beer. And the 'exclusive commercial footage' that they just filmed of her dancing and twirling around the ring didn't help. Her pretty blue dress was plastered to her like a second skin. The tapered ends twining around her leg like a snake. Like they belonged there. Her hair, too, stuck to her face, the smell of beer permeating the air all around her. Not that she wasn't a fan of beer, but she preferred harder liquor, personally.

A towel was waiting for her as she stepped off the stage and through the gorilla position. She gratefully accepted it from a waiting stagehand.

"Thank you," she said, a little breathily, as she gifted the young man with a smile as she walked away. Holding the towel close to her chest, she made her way out into the hall, away from the traffic of people, not wanting to get in the way.

Looking at the pristine towel in her hands, and then glancing at her alcohol plastered body, she really began to wonder where to start. Which spot would make the most difference before moving on to the next? The dripping locks of hair in front of her eyes answered that question for her, as she gently brought the towel up to start sopping at the strands.

"Hey," a gruff male voice interrupted her sad attempts at drying herself.

"Yes?" she said, looking up, surprised to see the man of the hour, Stone Cold Steve Austin, standing in front of her. It was one thing to be hosed down with beer by the man in front an audience of thousands, but quite another to actually have a conversation with him. He was a legend, one of the most popular Superstars ever to be involved with the company, and she was a little intimidated to be honest.

"Great job out there," he complimented her with a nod.

"Oh, thank you," she said, meaning every word. "It was great, actually, a lot of fun."

He almost laughed at her enthusiasm, mostly because beer was still dripping from her hair, her clothing, hell, her entire body. "You really took it well," he continued, "not many of the other Diva's would have done it without complaining."

She laughed, she couldn't help it, because she could think exactly of which women would have done that, complained about getting soaked in beer, hair and makeup ruined, clothing saturated. Some, because they wouldn't want to look bad in front of an audience, didn't want their perfect hair or nails messed up, and others because they felt such stunts were below them. Oh, none would complain outright, and the girls were generally really nice, but she knew what they said, heard things murmured in the locker room. But Maria? No, she was just glad to be out there, to be entertaining. Yes, she loved wrestling, and was steadfastly working to improve her abilities, but she was so grateful every time they wrote for her to be out there.

"Thank you," she said again, moving the towel to press at her face, "that means a lot."

He smiled again, laughing at her eagerness. "Some of the guys are taking me out after the show tonight. After what went on out there, you should come, you definitely deserve it."

Her eyes widened, "Oh, um, thank you. That'd be great. I think I heard Melina talking about that before. In that case, I need to hit the shower. As much as I like beer, I don't think I want to be walking around swimming in it."

Steve just laughed and waved as she walked away, heading back towards the women's locker room.

Once inside, she made her way over to her bag to pull out a fresh change of clothing, her soaps and shampoos. _It's like a college dorm, this way_, she thought with a shake of her head, as she stepped into the shower.

Half an hour, and one deliciously hot shower later, Maria was beer free and dressed in a clean set of clothing. Getting the smell out of her hair, however, had proved to be more difficult than she thought, having used a good majority of her shampoo trying to get the stink out.

On her way back out to the main area, she nearly ran headlong into Melina. While the two didn't start as friends, they grew steadily closer, now traveling together, once it was established that Maria was in the company to be more than just a pretty face. They trained together down in Florida when they had time, and Melina wasn't spending time with her boyfriend, who happened to be on the blue brand. They even went on a few shopping excursions; oohing and aahing over the latest fashions or expounding the virtues, or lack thereof, of the newest music and movie releases. They each truly valued the long simmering friendship.

"Hey!" the darker haired girl said, stopping short in an effort to avoid running into the taller brunette. "You almost ready? We're gonna meet the others at the restaurant, I think Michelle and Taker went ahead and reserved a table for us all."

"Yeah, sure," Maria replied, as she haphazardly put the rest of her stuff away, shoving it in the bag, figuring that if it was already dirty there was no need to worry about wrinkles. Quickly grabbing a hair tie from her bag, she threw her wet hair up into a bun. She slung her gym bag on her shoulder, and said, "Alright, ready to go. You set?"

Melina nodded, "Yup!"

For how she came across on screen, the tumultuous Jezebel of World Wresting Entertainment, Melina really was a very bubbly person, and usually filled with optimism, which was much how Maria's character was portrayed. People would be shocked if they actually sat down and talked with the girl, all the naysayers and internet 'experts'.

"Alright, you got the keys, right?"

As Melina nodded in response, Maria slung her overly large purse over her other shoulder, and palmed the handle to her Louis Vuitton carryon.

* * *

The trip to the restaurant didn't last long, both girls secretly glad that they decided on going to an actual restaurant than their usual celebratory location of a club. Moreover because it was a casual place. Most of their party had red eye flights that night, and thanks to the three hour time difference between the actual start time of the show and the time it aired on the east coast, they had plenty of time to eat and get to the airport without too much rushing. 

Upon arriving at the restaurant they found themselves the last to appear. With help from the hostess, they gracefully wove their way to find their table tucked in the back of the dining area. Or, as tucked away as a large group of professional wrestlers could be, what with most of the men being heads above everyone else in the room.

"Hey, baby," Melina greeted her boyfriend of a year with a quick kiss as she took her seat next to him.

Dave smiled as he looked at her. "What took you so long? Didn't think you were going to show," he laughed.

She smiled in response and tilted her chin in the direction of Maria, who had taken the last available seat in between Michelle and Kane. "Well, someone, took a bit of a long shower. Slowed us up, so don't go blaming me," she joked, trying to hold in a laugh.

After Maria sat down, she glanced at the man on her left and murmured a quick greeting. She quickly clearing her throat in an attempt to cover a blush when he replied, turning her face away to speak to Michelle.

Dinner progressed nicely, with plenty of laughter and teasing and embarrassing stories to go around. Luckily for the Diva's though, the majority of the embarrassments were saved for their male counterparts. The girls didn't escape completely unscathed however, Hunter distinctly recalling a few instances when Melina had managed to botch her signature ring entrance ("The rope was slippery, so it wasn't my fault," she came right back with a smirk, "besides, I didn't hear you all complaining, since I just had to do it again!")

Maria took in the proceedings, quietly sitting back, watching and listening, smiling and putting in commentary when the conversation required. As much as she thrived on being in the ring, she loved evenings like this, where she could just sit back, relax, and not worry about thousands of eyes dissecting her every move.

Once the check was paid ("It's on Vince," Hunter laughed, brandishing one of the companies credit cards), the group left the restaurant, passing tired wait staff and busboys who were eager to close up for the night. They took pause for a moment on the sidewalk outside to say their last minute goodbyes to each other.

"Oh, excuse me," a rushed sounding blonde said as she made her way, eyes down, through the group of wrestlers, to meet a car idling at the curb. Waiting with the passengers side door open was a stern looking man.

As the woman came up to stand in front of him, she greeted, "Thank you."

He cleared his throat.

The smirk in her face was evident when she replied, "Sir."

Scowling at her down turned face, he gestured for her to enter the car.

Maria was startled out of her observation by Melina, "Love her outfit," she complimented of the designer distressed jeans and silk, scoop-necked shirt, covered by an unbuttoned plaid Burberry coat. "But, geez, is that a…oh, my God. It is!"

Turning to her friend, she asked, "What?"

"Well, a collar. I mean, it's nice, leather and all, but it's got a padlock on it. Huh. I didn't think people actually did that."

"Did what?" Maria asked, turning back to the couple who had disappeared into the sleek car.

Melina simply shook her head and walked off to the car.

The rest of the group broke apart to head to their respective cars, two pairs of eyes looked towards the direction of the departing car: one was a pair of curious hazel ones, the other was contemplative as it took in the wide-eyed brunette.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone! I hope you all are enjoying the ride so far, as short as it's been. Please review and let me know what you think of it!**

**As always, I own nothing except my own ideas. None of the people are mine, sadly enough. **

* * *

The next week passed busily enough; filled with house shows, photoshoots, and appearances. The following Monday she found herself in another locker room, in another arena, in another city. Having arrived uncharacteristically early to the arena, due to overcompensating for the very low level of traffic, and, miraculously, not getting lost, Maria found herself sitting quietly on one of the empty benches in that evening's locker room. 

She looked around the empty room, taking in the vast open space, outlined with white open-faced lockers. And couldn't help but wonder how this clean, neatly organized space would end up looking like no less than five tornadoes came through by the end of the show.

_Ah, the wonder of Diva's_, Maria thought with a laugh as she turned back to her laptop. _And thank goodness for wireless internet, too,_ she chuckled to herself.

Even though she always had her computer with her, she very rarely ever got to use it before the show got underway. She was sincerely glad that today was an exception. All week, during the long autograph signings, the countless photos taken, and much-needed naps in the afternoon, one thought kept lingering in the back of her mind:

"_What the hell was Melina talking about?"_

Looking around to make sure she was the only one in the room, she opened a new webpage and went in search of some much needed information. Much needed insomuch that it was driving her crazy that she couldn't figure something out.

She thought back to that not-so distant Monday night, when they were standing outside the restaurant, somewhat nosily observing the people around them. _What was it that Melina had said?_ Maria questioned. _Something about a, what was it? Oh, a collar, I think._

She taped her fingers restlessly on the keyboard, trying to think of how to go about looking for what she wanted. Maria shrugged her shoulders and went to a site that had never failed her before, blinked at the number of entries there were for "collar". Her eyes scanned the pages and picked out a few of them:

"Noun meaning the part of a shirt, coat, dress, blouse, etc., that encompasses the neckline of the garment and is sewn permanently to it, often so as to fold or roll over," she read under her breath. "Hmm, I don't really see the big deal about that." Her eyes scrolled a bit down the pages, "Another noun, which is a leather or metal band or a chain, fastened around the neck of an animal, used especially as a means of restraint or identification." After reading the definition, she looked up across the room and muttered, "I still don't get it."

She glared at her computer as though it was the reason she couldn't solve this particular puzzle. Bringing up a new page, this time she tried one of the many popular search engines the internet was riddled with. She typed in her search query and was answered with many millions of links. "Crap."

Shoulders squared, she looked at the screen with determination. "Alright, this is ridiculous," she said to no one as she resolutely closed her eyes and hit a link at random.

"Oh…my…God," she gasped out as her eyes took in the page in front of her. Her head tilted to the side, she tried to make sense of exactly what it was she was seeing before her. Soon she was scrolling through the page, hitting other things, opening new pages. Unbeknownst to her, as the minutes passed, her mouth parted slightly and a flush took up residence high in her cheeks. Her breathing was shallow as she tried to swallow. "What in the…"

"Whacha lookin' at?" a voice asked from behind her.

Maria let out a startled yelp and slammed her laptop closed, her body bowed over the device as if to shield it completely from view. She had been so intent on her search and findings that she was completely oblivious to the doors opening and someone entering the nearly silent room.

"Whoa," the voice spoke again, this time Maria identified it as belonging to Mickie James, "sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," she apologized.

"It's, uh, it's okay," Maria coughed. "What time is it?"

Mickie glanced down at her blue rhinestone watch, a recent gift from her boyfriend, and stated, "Nearly six thirty. The others are on their way. I spotted Melina, Beth and Lilian down at catering. I guess they couldn't make it all the way here before grabbing some food. And I think I saw Michelle, Jillian and Layla heading in from the parking lot. But I'm not sure where everyone else is."

Maria breathed a silent sigh of relief that Mickie hadn't mentioned anything of what was on her computer. _Or maybe_, Maria hoped,_she didn't see it._ That it went by completely unnoticed. She was kicking herself for not paying enough attention, for not noticing someone coming into the room. _Stupid, stupid_, she kicked herself. More embarrassed than angry that she could have been caught.

"Oh, geez, I didn't realize it was so late," she said, looking down at her business casual outfit, and muttered, "I really should start getting ready. I think we have a Diva's Battle Royal as one of the dark matches, and I have a match with Beth during the show. Well, about as much of a match as they'll let me have with her, but you know."

Mickie nodded as she went to scope a spot for herself before the room filled up with Diva's.

"What have you got scheduled for tonight?" Maria asked as she pulled her ring outfit out of her bag and laid it on the seat next to her.

"Well, the Battle Royal. And I think they have me doing the Kiss Cam and tossing some shirts into the crowd since you have your match tonight."

"Oh, cool," she replied as she went about getting ready for her first match of the evening.

* * *

The rest of the broadcast went according to plan and Maria was thoroughly trounced by the blonde Glamazon. Afterwards, she made her way back to the locker room, throwing greetings and bits of conversation to people as she went. Time wise, she had plenty in which to prepare for the upcoming Diva's dark match. She quickly made her way through the now crowded room, dodging bits of flying makeup and the luggage bags strewn carelessly about the room. She peeled off the red, slinky outfit, and grabbed a different outfit from her bag, completely unaware of being mostly nude in a room full of women. If one had concerns about changing in front of others, two week with this company stripped you of those worries. No one had time during the flurry of a television day to stand about staring at the half naked women. Well, none of the Diva's at least. There had been the random creepy fan that tried to sneak in, but the security surrounding the Diva's area was always on top of their game and nothing got by them. 

After quickly changing, and applying a fresh coat of non-sweat slicked makeup, she wondered from the room, feeling stifled by the bodies and conversation zinging around the room. So, she decided that a walk would do her good, to work off the excess energy that would be bottled up until later. However, her aimless wonderings were nearly cut to a painful end when she rounded a corner and nearly body checked the person standing on the other side of it.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she gushed. "I wasn't watching where I was going." Embarrassed at her clumsiness and lack of attention, it took a few seconds longer for her to turn her head up and see who her victim had been. Her face kept tilting higher, and her eyes widened at who she nearly trampled. "Kane! Oh, God. I'm sorry!"

The giant man smiled, holding his hands out, palms up in a placating gesture. "It's not a problem. Really, don't worry about it. Besides, it's not as if you did much damage," he said, gesturing to their obvious physical differences. The light in the eyes belied the laughter that was threatening to escape.

Maria closed her eyes and looked down, hand covering her eyes as her face continued to redden. _Of course, _she thought, _of freakin' course._

"Hey, Maria," a female voice greeted from the other side of the Big Red Monster.

"Huh? Oh, hi, Michelle," she mumbled in reply as she looked over to the waving blonde and her always stern looking partner.

Michelle McCool and the Undertaker were certainly a sight to behold; the blonde, clean-cut, girl-next-door looking woman and the Phenom of the WWE, a plethora of tattoos, including the two full sleeves, which decorated his body. Long red hair and a goatee added to his image. You never would have thought that the two of them would pair up, but one only needed a small glance to see how well they were matched; with –Taker's air of possessiveness that was always in the forefront, and Michelle's affectionate nature.

"How are you?" Maria inquired.

"I'm doing really well, thank you. Nice job taking that ass kicking," Michelle chuckled.

Maria couldn't help but laugh in response. "Yeah, apparently it's what I do best," she shrugged and quirked a smile. "What I wouldn't give for a massage right now, though. I landed kinda funky at the end, I think," she added on, closing her eyes and rolling her neck, missing the look at was passed above her head.

"Maybe you should try one of those collars you were looking at earlier," a voice chirped up from behind the group.

"What?" Maria whipped around, wincing at the motion but not noticing.

Eyes wide in innocence, Mickie replied. "What you were looking at before? Remember? In the locker room? Those looked kinda sturdy," Mickie laughed, oblivious to the look on Maria's face.

Forcing a laugh, she turned back to the group behind her, not paying attention to the looks on their faces as her own face filled with red. She urgently prayed for the floor to open beneath her and swallow her up. _Oh, no. She saw, _Maria wailed to herself. "Yeah, don't know what you're talking about, Micks. Just, um, checking my mail," she laughed awkwardly, desperately trying to change the topic. "But, busy night ahead. Gotta get ready for that Battle Royal later," she rushed to get the words out, walking backwards as she went.

As much as she loved the bubbly brunette, she sometimes lacked tact and didn't always gauge people's reactions to things. Plowing forward with whatever the topic of conversation was. That was her blind spot, and Maria was fervently wishing someone would shine a light on it right at that moment. She wanted so badly to run away from them all, but her shaking legs only managed to get her a few yards away, after rounding the corner. Her back was pressed to the wall, bent forward, her hands fisted at her side and she tried not to eavesdrop on the rest of the conversation. The curiosity of what Mickie could say was driving her crazy.

"But you already changed!" Mickie yelled out after the retreating Diva. "Anyway," she started, "You should have seen that thing. I didn't think that stuff actually existed. I mean, the leather, the PVC, the-"

"Okay, Mickie," Michelle cut it. "I think we got it."

"But-"

Desperate to get back to the relative safety of the locker room, Maria took off down the corridor, mortified beyond belief.

"Nope. Got it," Michelle tried again. "How was doing the Kiss Cam tonight? They had me do it once, when they were trying it on Smackdown. Never caught on, though." The topic was successfully changed as the former women's champion launched into a diatribe about her experience earlier that night.

Kane just shook his head at the complete ignorance of one Mickie James, a look of speculation forming on his face as he gazed at the route the fleeing Maria had taken. Taker looked over at his storyline brother, eyebrow raised, and Michelle couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief at the disaster that could have been caused.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello everyone! I hope you are enjoying the journey so far. I would absolute love it if you took the time to tell me what you think so far. I know this chapter is shorter than the others, but I think I got my point across.**

**Don't mind my repeating myself, but: review please! **

* * *

"What'd you think of Miss James' little display at the arena tonight?" Taker asked his companions, once they were settled in his hotel room for a brief visit before they went off on their separate ways for the evening.

"I think she doesn't know when to shut up," Kane promptly answered.

"I feel bad for Maria. I mean, can you imagine? Especially if you didn't even really know what you were looking at. But to have someone blurt it out like that? I'd be horrified," Michelle stated from her position on the bed, half reclining on her much larger boyfriend.

Taker nodded. "I don't think she has much to worry about, though. I mean, really, she's not exactly the type, is she?"

Sitting up, Michelle looked him in the eye, "Excuse me?"

He looked honestly perplexed, "What?"

"Did you think _I_was the type before you got to know me?"

"Well, no," he said slowly, not wanting to admit he may have been wrong.

Theirs was an interesting relationship. To the outside observer, it was noticeable that Taker was extremely possessive of his blonde girlfriend. What they also saw, though, was the complete love the man had for her. It wasn't an obvious thing, because it was clear he was not an obvious man. It was the little things, though; the hand on her back that steered her along, the looks he gave her, and the subsequent looks she gave back. To the outside world they had a stable and, more or less, equal relationship. What they didn't see, when closeted away him the bedroom, was the complete dominance he had over her. Nor did they see the way she absolutely loved it. And craved it.

"So how can you say that it's not for her?"

"Well, I just…" Taker was not a man to stutter or hesitate and it was a rare sight to see, but he also did not want to start an argument. So trailing off was a good way to go, he decided.

"Yep," Michelle took pity on him and interrupted, "that's what I thought."

"You know," Kane interrupted their conversation, as he gazed at the couple lounging on one of the hotel room's beds, "you two make me want to give it another go. That maybe the romance doesn't have to get lost in it all."

"Yeah, well, sometimes your just that damn good," Taker said with a smile, the near-argument forgotten.

Michelle rolled her eyes at his cockiness. "Yup, you keep telling yourself that," she said, patting him on the chest.

He grabbed her wrist, holding it in his steely grip. "What? You sayin' you're not happy, darlin'?" he asked, his drawl exaggerated.

She shivered in response and whispered, eyes hooded, "Perfectly happy."

"Okay," the Big Red Machine interrupted again, "before you two start in on what I'm sure is going to be a very pleasurable night for the both of you, I could use some advice."

"On?" The taller man asked.

"Who."

"Who?"

"Who," he repeated, lowering his head and giving Michelle a look that gave her the exact meaning of what he was talking about.

"Oh," she said in reply. "Well," she began, sitting up, a studious look in her eyes, as Taker looked on and simply let Michelle do her thing. If there was one thing she was good at, it was reading people, and as such, she could easily help the big man on his search for the perfect woman.

_Well,_ he thought and chuckled, _there were many things she was good at_. He stopped his thoughts, however, before other points of interest could arise, and focused on the conversation going back and forth in front of him.

"A Diva?"

Kane nodded, "I think so. Easier that way."

Michelle paused for a moment, thinking of the Diva's that were possible, then started with: "Lilian?"

"Not my type."

"Kristal?"

"Wasn't she fired?"

"Victoria?"

"Not if I want to be the one flogged."

"Mickie?"

"Can't keep her mouth shut."

Taker raised an eyebrow.

"_Not_ in the good way."

"Kelly Kelly?"

"I'd break her in two."

"Jillian?"

"Have you heard her when she gets loud?"

"Maryse?"

"Who?"

"Maria?"

"She…," he stopped shorted, unable to come up with a quick reply as to why not. "Well, it's obvious she has some interest."

"What about-what?" she interrupted herself before she could give another name, not expecting him to give pause.

"Weren't you the one who said that you can't judge her just by looking at her? I mean, if people were to judge her by how she is, most people would think she was a complete idiot. But we all know that's not true. I think she'd be…good."

"Good?"

"What is with you parroting all of a sudden. Taker didn't teach you that, did he?" Kane asked with a smirk, tilting his head in the direction of the Phenom.

She glared at him, "Excuse you-"

"Michelle," Taker said in a low voice, warning her before she could start.

She brought her gaze quickly to him and seeing the look in his eyes she was prompt to reply, "Sorry, Sir."

"Hmm," was his answer, still gazing at her down turned gaze.

Kane stood up, knowing that he shouldn't stick around for what was sure to come. "I'm off. Don't enjoy yourself too much, old man," he said to Taker, giving him a knowing look.

"Where are you off to?" he asked, distracted, as Michelle slowly slid off the bed.

"I'm off to see if I can offer some words of wisdom to a wayward little girl," he said, hand on the doorknob.

"But…," Michelle started, then stopped herself as she gazed quickly up at the Undertaker.

He waggled his finger in her direction, "Later."

"Don't worry, Michelle. I'm not going to go stalking her tonight. Besides, she won't get hurt, if she doesn't want to."

Kane slowly shut the door as he took in the sight of Michelle slowly kneeling on the floor, her head down, arms behind her back.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone! This took a bit longer than I anticipated, but it's here nonetheless. I want to give a thank you to Vera for letting me bounce ideas off of her and having her bounce some back as well.**

**Let me know what you guys think! I'm really interested in hearing your take on it so far. **

* * *

It had been a long day, and it wasn't even near time for the television taping to start. After a long red eye flight on Monday night, and the two connecting flights the next morning, both of which were delayed, Maria found herself sitting quietly at a table in arena that was home to the next taping of Friday Night Smackdown. She had received a call from management, asking if she would mind stepping in and playing interviewer for the evening, their new girl Anastacia having come down with a bad head cold and resulting laryngitis. Maria wasted no time in accepting and waited for the flight itinerary to be sent to her. At first look, everything seemed to be in order, true she would probably have to sleep in the airport for the early part of the morning, but she didn't mind, even if the seats were terribly uncomfortable.

So, there she was, head resting on her arm, surveying the book that she had brought with her, confident in the knowledge that no one was around and no one_would_ be around for the next bit of time. And she was also, desperately, trying not to fall asleep in the lunch that she hadn't even attempted to eat. Her fingers were tracing the cover the book she had taken with her, trying to drum up the nerve to actually open it.

Reading it…well, she would cross that bridge when she got to it. It was a miracle she even bought the thing.

It wasn't long, however, before she lost the battle; the lack sleep and very uncomfortable nap she had earlier caught up and she was sound asleep, head lolling off her arm, hand resting limply on the cover of her book.

And that was what Kane saw when he walked through the catering area. In fact, he almost missed it altogether, as he was quick to get back to his locker room and she was soundly unconscious on a table in the corner of the room. He stopped on a dime when he did notice her, though, and couldn't help but take in the sight before him; the completely innocent and vulnerable sight. He couldn't have stopped himself if he tried, from walking over and staring. She would probably be startled half to death if she woke at that moment, but luckily he was safe in his observations, as she continued to breathe deeply, her mouth partially open, strands of hair fluttering on every exhaled breath.

He also couldn't stop the thoughts of what that innocent little mouth could more than likely do. Would do, with the right coaching. On the heels of the images that thought brought out, he was curious as to what she was even doing at a Smackdown taping. As far as he could remember, she hadn't been in the plans for the show the last time he had heard. Of course, things tended to change quickly in terms of storyline and he wondered who was lucky enough to have her tossed their way. Clenching his jaw, he consciously ignored the insidious thoughts of jealousy that that line of thinking brought about.

Or, maybe, she was there in her normal duties as an interviewer. Yes, that what much more likely to be the case, he thought, the green eyed monster sneaking back behind the door it came out of.

After a few minutes of abject staring, he noticed that her hand was resting on a book, the title slightly obscured by her delicate fingers. He also ignored the thoughts of what those fingers could more than likely do. Kane quietly cleared his throat and extended his hand, slowly sliding the book out from under her, being careful not to disturb the sleeping beauty.

_The Story of O,_ he read, eyes wide as he quickly brought his gaze to her face, thinking that somehow his indrawn breath woke her. The book was familiar to him of course, his sense of shock stemming from the fact that her curiosity had advanced more than he had realized. Never had he thought she was actively pursuing information in the form of books, rather than the anonymous internet. Thinking she was too skittish in her inquiries and wonderment as all her previous reactions had shown.

He tightened his jaw again at the thought that someone else could have discovered her secret. Anyone could have stumbled upon her there, quietly reading her book.

Still eyeing the book in question, a plan starting forming in his head and he pressed his fingers harder into the stiff paper of the cover, sliding it out completely from under her hand. His eyes were steadfastly on her peaceful face, willing her to stay sleeping. And she did, as he pulled the book from her lax grip and slipped it behind his back, into the waistband of his jeans, the long shirt he was wearing covered his theft.

His head tilted to the side as he continued to watch her sleep, her breathing was deep and even. A shadow of concern filtered into his mind as he wondered how much sleep she had gotten the night before to cause her to sleep so sounding at an uncomfortable cafeteria table.

He really almost reconsidered the next step in his hastily put together plan.

Almost.

Bending down, he reached a hand out and placed it on her shoulder before gently shaking her. The sleeping diva did not move, just continued on with those even breaths of hers. He sighed, realizing just how tired she really must have been. Not one to be deterred, however, he shook just a little bit hard as he leaned forward and place his mouth next to her ear.

"Maria." His voice was soft, but it was enough as she slowly started coming around.

She wiped her face on arm as she turned to look in the opposite direction, trying to find the source of her interrupted nap time. It seemed to take an impossibly long time before her face swung around in his direction, her eyes squinting against the florescent lighting in the large room. His face was inches from her own as he knowingly invaded her personal space, but she was still too sleepy to fully comprehend that someone was in front of her.

It was comical, really, when the pieces clicked in her head. Her eyes went wide and her breathing changed from slow and even to fast and shallow. "Kane," she said, his name on an exhale and he had to shift his lower body to ease the sudden discomfort.

"Maria," he greeted back, voice pitched low as he waited for her to get her bearings. He mentally counted down from ten, and before he even reached six were her eyes frantically searching the table in front her. Her hand shifting over the table as though it could find what her eyes could not. "Lose something?" he rumbled.

She visibly searched for a response. "Uh…no," she answered slowly, forcing herself to stop her search. Her book was nowhere to be found, and she could have sworn she brought it with her. She stretched her foot along the floor, thinking she could have dropped it during her unexpected nap, but she didn't feel it anywhere. Her senses were frazzled, her nerves jumping at his slightest movement and she attributed it to her lost artifact. Something that would absolutely mortify her if someone else came across it. _I must have left it in my bag,_ she thought, desperately hoping that would be the case.

"So," Kane began and watched with a hidden smile as she was jolted from her thoughts, "what brings a Raw diva to Smackdown?"

"Oh! Um, the new girl…oh, what's her name? Shit…crap…damnit!...Crap! I mean shoot!" she couldn't stop herself as she fell all over her words. "She lost her voice so they, uh, asked me to fly in and take her place." Nearly letting out a sigh of relief that she finished her explanation without sounding like a complete idiot.

Why she acted this way around him, she had no idea. Her job revolved around attractive men, constantly being in their presence, with nary a stutter to be found. But Kane seemed to be the exception to the rule, every exception, really. After her breakup from the current ECW champion, she had decided to give up on dating members of the active roster, or any roster really, and she had done a superb job. Until the Big Red Monster decided to start hanging around more. It wasn't his fault, she conceded, it was like she had a sixth sense about the man, and an infallible one at that. It didn't matter if it he was across the room or across the building, she always seemed to know where he was, and it was driving her insane. So, to be face to face with him, his facing being a hair away from hers it seemed, was putting her brain into overdrive. She didn't know how to input that information, and the fact that he was asking her questions…well, she couldn't handle it. And, a small portion of her brain realized, that he seemed to be getting some sense of joy out of it all.

"Excuse me," a voice interrupted before Kane could form a reply to her adorably cute ramblings, "Miss Kanellis? Stephanie wants to see you."

She tried to hide the gratitude in her voice as she focused on the writers assistant, "Okay, thank you. I'll be right there."

"Great," the man replied before he left the room.

The young diva turned back to the man in front of her only to discover that he was now sitting at the table next to hers and she found it suddenly easier to breathe. "I have to go," she murmured, looking towards the floor for some inexplicable reason.

Kane nodded, "Don't want to keep the queen mother waiting. I hear it's bad for your health."

Standing now, Maria couldn't stop the laugh the escaped, her smile was wide and infectious and he couldn't help but smiling back. "I heard that rumor, too."

"I'll see you later," he said by way of goodbye.

Suddenly shy, Maria turned to go, giving a small wave as she left. Kane watched her, the corners of his new book digging into his back all the while.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! I'm glad to see you're all still with me so far. Please let me know what you think about it so far! Review and there may be a cookie in your future.**

* * *

"What's that?" 

"A book."

"Yes, I can see that. But I wasn't aware they set up a bookshop in the hallway. So, want to tell me where that came from?"

Lifting his head from the examination of the pristine copy of _The Story of O,_ Kane gave the darkly tattooed man a droll look. "I found it."

Taker, crossing his arms, clearly didn't believe him. Since when does someone find the classic story of domination and submission just lying around a dirty arena? And one, apparently, that had yet to be opened. The pages were perfect, the binding yet to be cracked, and if he wasn't mistaken, there was a receipt placed carefully within its pages. "You found it?"

"Yes…," he answered slowly, "…under Maria's head." Kane knew he may as well tell truth sooner rather than later. The two men never lied to one another, it just didn't happen. In terms a friendship, they were as close as brothers and no matter of conversation was considered taboo. And considering the relationships the two tended to favor with women, that was a very good thing.

"You stole it from Maria?" Out of all the scenarios surrounding Kane's new book, that was not one of them. He was honestly surprised that he would go so far as to steal a book. But then, he reminded himself, he really shouldn't have been, it would keep the control of the situation in his hands. Literally.

Kane frowned in response, "I didn't steal it. I borrowed it."

"What'd we steal?" Michelle asked as she entered the locker room, a few bottles of water in her hands. She handed them out before asking again, "Who stole what?"

The Undertaker grinned as he looked over at his girlfriend. "Our friend Kane here, stole your friend's book."

He looked so smug about it that Kane wanted to get up and punch the pompous look off his face. Yes, his plan was hastily put together, and probably not the most thought of, but it didn't mean that it wasn't going to work. He just had to work the kinks out. Of which there were apparently a few, and he didn't need them to be thrown in his face.

He had stolen a book for fucks sake. What did he think he was doing? He needed to get back on track and fast.

Michelle nearly dropped her water to the concrete floor, but she tightened her grip just in time. "Please," she began, "do not tell me that that book, the one you are currently holding, belongs to Maria. You do remember her, right? The one who nearly had a heart attack when Mickie started running her mouth. The one who is trying so hard to figure out what is going on in her own head? You know she probably bought that to see, right? To see what it would be like, in a manner of speaking. But, no, I'm hoping you didn't remember all of that when you _stole_ it from her. How do you plan on getting it back to her? How the hell do you plan on not traumatizing her more than she already is? She's scared, Glen. She doesn't have friends like you do. That know, that won't judge."

Taker had never been more proud, as he stood there and watched her come down from her quiet, but firm, tirade. He was like a proud papa as he looked on.

The big man in question simply stared at Michelle after her impassioned speak. Whenever she used his given name, he knew he was in trouble. Much like when a mother uses their child's full name when they did something wrong. This, however, was her way of asserting herself. Of making sure he listened.

And he did.

"You're her friend," he tried. He was starting to feel about two inches tall, and he did not like it.

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "Not like that I'm not. Do you honestly think she's going to go to any of her friends about what she's feeling? She doesn't know who's going to laugh, who's goes to make fun, or who will have a slightly promising thing to say. And, as much as I love the rest of the girls, not _one _of them would be helpful. No, I'm not her friend like that. She'll never come to me and confide about what she's going through. If I could go to her, give her back her book," at that she gave him a pointed look, "and ask her if she wants to talk about it, I would. But she wouldn't."

Okay. It was official, he was feeling like an ass.

Michelle was about to continue on, but Taker pulled her to him and hushed her with a surprisingly gentle kiss. "I think he gets it," he spoke into her lips, "now he just has to fix it."

"Fix it?" he asked, and if it was any other man asking, it may have sounded like a squeak. But this was Kane, the Big Red Monster of WWE and he, emphatically, does not squeak.

"Oh," Taker said, as he started playing with Michelle's long blonde hair, pulling the strands into taught ropes that made her head tilt back. "I'm sure you'll figure something out."

* * *

He found her in the hallway, after he dropped her book off in his locker room, and she looked vaguely confused. He decided that she must have left her impromptu meeting with Stephanie McMahon. She didn't looking upset, which was good he decided, it meant that she wasn't in trouble for something, but she also didn't look ecstatic either. 

"You okay?" he called out, chuckling when he saw her jump at the sound.

Maria turned to look at him, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"How was your meeting?" he asked as he closed the distance between them. He came to stand a few feet from her, making sure to maintain a respectable distance.

She seemed to think for a moment, "It was okay. I think I'm going to be pulling double duty for a while, though."

He inwardly smiled at the probable meaning of that. Outwardly, however, he had a confused look on his face, "What do you mean?"

Hands in her pocket, she scuffed her foot on the floor in what he deemed to be one of the most adorable actions he'd ever seen. She answered, "Just that I'll still be doing my normal thing on Raw. Now, I guess, I'm going to doing a storyline here, too," she shrugged, as if it weren't a big deal.

When Stephanie was outlining what they wanted her to do, or the basics of what they wanted from her, she knew that she wasn't going to decline the offer. Even if they wanted her to wrestle in a vat of mustard, she would have agreed, anything to keep her place within the company. It didn't matter how comfortable she was in her position as a Diva, she knew that they could always bring in five more women to replace her. She doubted that would ever happen as she had a solid fan base and she was doing more and more to improve her in ring abilities. But she couldn't stop that niggling voice in the back of her head that made it impossible to say no.

After it was explained, though, what they wanted from her, she felt much better about agreeing to it. Especially considering they didn't want her to take part in any disgusting variations on a wrestling match. Once she left Stephanie's makeshift office, however, the practical worries about pulling double duty set in. If she was already falling asleep at a cafeteria table, how would she be after doing that for a long term basis? She would handle it quietly, she knew that much. She would not complain, no matter how tired she may get, she would smile and do the best job she could. She'd be damned if Stephanie and the rest of upper management regretted asking her and not one of the other girls.

Kane watched her after she spoke. Saw all the thoughts she tried to hide. The Diva did care about what she was doing, she was concerned about it. It was written all over her face, he just didn't know why she was concerned. But he was fully prepared to find out.

"Listen," he spoke, glad to see that he pulled her from whatever other thoughts she had, "can you come with me for a second?"

All at once her eyes went big, "Uh…" She looked around, and for the first time realized that she was alone with this behemoth of a man. There seemed to be no one else coming, no footsteps sounding in the hall, no one turning the corner. They were vastly alone. Maria knew that she had to answer, there was no way to avoid it. But what would happen when she did. Where did he want her to go and what did he want?

Finally, she answered, "Sure?"

Yeah, she had a big problem saying no.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone! I really hope you're all enjoying the ride so far. Please let me know what you think! And thanks to Vera for giving it the thumbs up before I posted. She kinda rocks.**

* * *

Maria followed the Big Red Monster all the way back to his locker room, trepidation filling her. The entire way there, which seemed entirely too long for her frame of mind, Kane was silent and Maria was steadfastly trying to figure out what he wanted to talk to her about. The two weren't exceptionally close, they had a few friends in common, and they hadn't shared more than passing conversations with each other when their shows happened to cross. So, it begged the question, what did he want?

_He doesn't seem to be mad at me for something. Then again, if he were mad, he wouldn't politely ask you to his locker room, Maria. Smart. S-M-R-T. _

"Um," Maria spoke up from her place a few paces behind the large man, "can I ask what this is about? I mean…"

Kane shook his head and attempted to keep the chuckle to himself, "I'm not going to bite, Maria." _Well, unless you want me to,_ he added to himself. "No need to be nervous."

"I'm not nervous!" she shot back, trying to cover the apparently-obvious nervousness she was feeling, with too much bravado. "I just feel like I'm being summoned to the freakin' principal's office," she muttered to herself.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to give you detention," he said, replying to what he was sure he wasn't supposed to hear.

Maria rolled her eyes, safe in the knowledge that he couldn't see, and stuck her tongue out in a burst of boldness. What she didn't realize, however, was that they had arrived at his home for the evening. And she certainly didn't expect for him to turn around so suddenly. She sucked her tongue back into her mouth so fast that she bit it. 

"Thit!" she yelled, lisping in pain. 

Kane winced in sympathy as he opened the metal door in front of him, holding it open for the Diva who was frantically waving her hand in front of her mouth, as if that would alleviate the pain. "You know," he began, "I can think of a number of less painful things that you can do with that."

It took Maria a few seconds to realize what that _that_ was. And Kane realized the moment that she did, her face going red, eyes wide. 

"I don't…I mean…What are you…Why…," Maria stumbled, trying to gain purchase on her words, but nothing was coming clearly. She didn't know what to say in response, and she sure as hell didn't know what prompted _that_! Kane didn't, well, he wasn't attracted…was he? 

_No_, she decided, he wasn't. He couldn't be. He never gave her more than passing glance, or a fleeting pleasantry. This was an anomaly. It wasn't normal. It was…

"Is this a dare?" was the only question she could voice. It was the only thing that made sense. What else would explain this sudden attention from a man she'd admired from afar. She had no idea what the bet could be, but it was the only reason she could think that would get him talking to her like this. The thought that something like a dare or a bet would bring him near was demoralizing and humiliating, but it was better to find out now, than later. When false pretenses and invalid feelings were closer to the surface. On his part. 

The door shut behind the pair the same moment her softly asked question penetrated his brain. A dare? _A dare? _"Excuse me?" he asked, completely flabbergast. 

Maria crossed her arms in what he could only assume was a protective gesture. "Look, it's okay, really." _Liar. _

"A…dare?" He just couldn't get the thought to process. Why would someone dare him to…what?

"I get it," she continued, "you guys do it all the time. Hell, Cena's dared atleast six times a week. The man just can't say no," she forced herself to laugh. All previous nerves vanished in the face of the reality of the situation. A dare. _A fucking _dare,_ stupid Maria. _

What the hell could someone dare him to do? He did not know how to handle this situation. No one dared him to do anything. Hell, he was never even aware of half the dares any of the guys issues. Well, he didn't find out until after the fact. Like the time Cena drank out of that puddle. Seriously, the man had a problem. 

Maria stepped forward, "Can I just ask…" She paused, not sure if she really wanted to know the answer to the question that was burning her mind. Taking a deep breath, she fortified herself, "What were you dared to do? I mean, I know that nothing is off limits. Everyone heard the Howard Stern interview John did and his dare to, um, fuck, that woman." Okay, so maybe she wasn't so comfortable around him now that she knew he was dared that she could say the word _fuck_ without blushing and imagining…all sorts of things. "I doubt they'd do that to a Diva, but you never know. I can see why, though. I mean, come on, I'm no Candice Michelle or Jillian." She also couldn't look him in the eye, not wanting him to see that she really was hurt by what he was doing, regardless of how nonchalant she made it seem. 

"Wait, what? They dared me to _fuck _you?" He was getting confused and he really needed to clear this mess up. He was going to fuck her all right, but not because some half brained morons dared, or _bet,_ him, too. Oh, no, he didn't need any outside coercion to accomplish that goal. And the fact that she thought so little of herself that she actually considered, and seemed to accept, that she would be the subject of a dare…Well, that was something he would need to remedy. Thoroughly. Repeatedly. 

Yeah, he really needed to fix this, he thought again as he watched her nervously pace the room. "Maria, you really don't understand…"

"No," she interrupted. She didn't want to hear his half-assed excuses. His, 'it's not what you think' reasons. She didn't want to be made a fool of. "You don't need to explain," she said, coming to stand by the singular table in the room, where some of his stuff seemed to be thrown haphazardly.

"I do need to explain," he said firmly. This situation was getting out of control, and control was not something he gave up. Ever. She would listen if he had to tie her to a chair to get her to do so. "I wasn't dared to sleep with you," he said after a few minutes of her silence, thinking he had finally gotten through to her. 

When he turned to her, however, he realized that she wasn't listening to him. She was still standing next to the table, but now she had a book in her hand. And a horrified look on her face. 

"This is…," she audibly gulped, her face going white. "My book. You took my book. Oh, God, they dared you to steal this?" She looked up at him, her large hazel eyes opened wide, panic written on her face. He could have kicked his own ass in that moment. 

'Taker was never going to let him live this down.


	7. Chapter 7

_How did he even know the book was mine?_, Maria thought to herself, panicking. How was she going to explain this? Maybe he didn't know about the book, what it was about. But from the look on his face, she thought, he wasn't ignorant to it.

_Oh, my God. _

"No one dared me to take your book, Maria," he said gently, trying to get the look of horror off her face.

"Then how come…why do…," she took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. "What is my book doing with your stuff?" she finally asked with a forced calm.

As she watched him visibly put together his answer, she froze. What if it wasn't her book? What if this was his? What if she just admitted to owning it if she didn't have to? Wait…no, there was a receipt sticking out of the middle of its pages. Her receipt, she saw when she opened up the book to examine it. The receipt she placed in so carefully just in case she chickened out and could not summon the courage to even read this piece of literature, and decided to return it. She had, in fact, already come up with a completely plausible explanation to give to the clerk as to why she was returning it. That it was a gift from a friend and it wasn't what she thought it was. No one would have known she looked at it, let alone bought it.

But now? Now it was too late. Not only did someone know she had it. He had taken it!

She realized that Kane was trying to get her attention, so focused she was on her own thoughts and musings that she didn't even notice he was trying to speak to her.

"Sorry," she muttered, head down. Trying to hide her quickly reddening face. Oh Lord, was she embarrassed.

"Maria," he started, waiting for her to look up again. When she didn't, he tried again. "Maria, look at me." Again he waited, and this time, she looked up. Her face gently tilted up, eyes focused on his chest, looking for all the world like someone who was trying not to run away and hide. He sighed, figuring that was the best he was going to get at the moment.

"I did take your book," he started again, but continued quickly when he saw she was about to interrupt, "but I wasn't dared to do it. I went through catering on my way here and I saw you sleeping at the table. You must have nudged it from where you were sleeping, because it was lying on the floor. When I saw what book it was, I took it. I figured you wouldn't want someone like Mickie to come across it and question you about it. I didn't want to wake you up because you looked like you needed a nap. That's why I brought you here; I didn't want to give it back in the middle of everyone arriving for the show."

The explanation spilled fluently from his lips, the half-truths flowing effortlessly and by the look on her face, he could tell that she bought the reasoning. For now. In a very kinda-sorta way.

"Oh," she said, looking down at the book in question. "I'm thinkin' that maybe I should leave before I say something even more horrifyingly embarrassing."

Kane watched her as she stood there for a moment more, then, after she turned around and headed for the door, asked, "Why did you buy it?"

She stopped just shy of the door, as he knew she would, and paused. He knew what he was doing, what would get her to stop before leaving. And there was no way he was letting her walk out that door now. The entire situation started off completely out of his control, and now, he was finally able to reign it back in and that was something he was looking forward to.

Slowly Maria turned around, afraid of what she would see. Was he going to poke fun of her? Ridicule her over her…choice of reading? It's something that Mickie would do, had she been the one to find her. She shuddered to think of Mickie finding it. Thinking quickly, she tried to think of something to tell the large man. Something just vague enough to pacify him and for her to get out of there.

Kane could see the thoughts on her face and said, "Tell me the truth, Maria. Don't lie to me." He said it gently enough, but the underlying order was there nonetheless. If he was going to do this, he was going to start now.

Maria sighed, knowing she couldn't get out of this one. So she said, very quietly, "I was just curious."

To Kane, she sounded so very much like a child who got in trouble for looking at something that she shouldn't have been. If she didn't look so upset by things, he probably would have laughed. But any humor on his part, right at that moment, would have been met with anything other than appreciation.

"Have you read it?" he asked quietly, smoothly, prompting her to answer.

She shook her head quickly, then, "N-no!" she paused after her forceful denial, then added, "I, um, mean…no, I didn't. I don't know…if I can…" She trailed off, not sure where to go from there. She wasn't even sure where she should have started, but no answer was easily forthcoming, so one was forced out, garbled, but there.

Watching her carefully for a few moments, he decided how to proceed. Very gently, he realized, as she was already near the door, ready to bolt. "You should," was his simple reply.

But it was enough for her to look at him, blinking owlishly at him. "I…should?"

He nodded once, just a slight incline of his head, really, but it was enough. "It's good. Especially if you're curious about the lifestyle," he finished with a shrug. Looking nonchalant when he was anything but. Watching her carefully, he tried to figure out what she was thinking, but Maria had that puzzled look on her face. It was a face he knew well from all the times that he had watched her on Raw. Sure, he tuned in to see what was happening, but the brunette never failed to capture his attention. Not that he would tell her that, of course.

Before she could formulate any sort of response, he asked her another question: "Would you like to get breakfast with me tomorrow?" he paused, thinking of how that could have come across, then elaborated, "I have an early afternoon flight and I figure since we won't get done until late tonight, breakfast is just as good a date meal as dinner."

She looked so adorably confused, he wanted to smile. No time had been given between his slight explanation of her book and his asking her out, for her to process much of anything. Maria felt as if her head was spinning and she nearly put her hand up to hold it in place. He did that on purpose, she was nearly sure. Making his comments on that…that…book, and then asking her out on a…

"Date?" Monosyllabic words were really all she could come up with at the moment.

"Yes," the big man nodded, looking her directly in the eye, not letting her look away when he was sure she would. "Have breakfast with me." It was a statement, not a question, lending to no other answer than what he wanted.

Maria nodded slightly, her hair moving around her shoulders with the movement. Watching in awe as Kane slowly stepped closer to her, invading her personal space. Automatically she took a step back, not even knowing that she did it, until her back hit the cold wall behind them. Vaguely, she noted the small smile on his face as he came closer, stopping a few scant inches in front of her. Looking up, her eyes trained on his face, as her head rested firmly against the white stone. Thoughts were flying so quickly through her head that none gained purchase.

The Big Red Machine gazed down at the brunette beauty, contemplating. Slowly, he raised his left arm up to delicately place it on the wall to her side, blocking her in on two sides now. The only way she could escape was to move to the right, towards the direction of the door, sliding along the wall. But she had no intention of moving, he could tell.

The intensity was broken when a cursory knock sounded, the door being pushed open before the sound could penetrate the fog they were in.

"Please, _please,_ tell me you finally gave her the book back," came the voice of Michelle McCool. Her voice became clearer as she and her large boyfriend entered the room, "I was going to come myself, but he wanted to check for him…Oh, my god."

The softly spoken exclamation finally broke through. Kane was the first to react, just a simple turn of his head to greet his friends, but he didn't step back. Maria blinked furiously, trying to get a grip on what just happened. She looked around the room, anything to not look at the big man in front of her, or the others. She was embarrassed, a red blush coming up her neck to settle on her face, but what she was embarrassed for exactly, she didn't know.

"You could have knocked," was all Kane said, looking at his on screen brother.

The tattooed giant chuckled, and Maria fought the urge to hide her head, and in fact, she did try to hide, turning her body away from the open door. "We did knock," was his answer.

"Louder," was all he said. He could feel Maria's embarrassment radiating off her body and he figured that he had gotten what he needed to across, for the time being, and he slowly eased away. He was still near, however, and keeping a close eye on her.

"You should probably get ready for the show," he told her quietly and watched as she took the easy out and headed for the door with her head down. He didn't let her get far, though, before he asked for her to wait. She stopped near the door, not looking at the tall blonde that was standing right next to her. "Don't forget your book."

Maria turned slightly and looked beneath her lashed as Kane walked over and handed her the book. Holding eye contact he added, "You really should read it."

She did nothing for a moment. Then, nodding, she left the room.

* * *

**Hey everyone, I'm back! I took some time off to recover from surgery and I figured, since I'm finally feeling somewhat myself, I was long overdue for an update. **

**I think we got some Maria and Kane goodness under our belt to tide us over to the next chapter. Things are starting to get a little more interesting, no? **

**Please review and let me know what you think!**


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